Illuminating device



E. O. SCHWEITZER ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 12. 1923 3 Sheets-Shoot 5 sums-ms Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES EDMUND O. SGHWEITZEB, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IILUMINATING DEVICE.

Application filed November 12, 1923. fierlal No. 674,164.

My invention relates to illuminating devices.

Animal life is peculiarly responsive to light. It is a well known fact that the character of lighting of a room has a profound influence upon the mental attitude of its occupants. The idea of brightness is synonymous with sunshine and vice versa. But

it is a peculiar fact that in devising lighting mechanism for illuminating space occupied by human beings, practically no attention is paid to the most obvious fundamental suggestion of light; namely, the sun. 2 It has been customary in the past to litter the average room with ghastly hardware which we termlighting fixtures. Now that electric lighting has been put on a plane suitable for giving almost any eifect which is desired I have conceived the idea of placing a suggestion with the illuminating device that the light comes from the sun or is outdoor lighting.

In the past it has been customary to make a lighting fixture look like a torch Which is perhaps the worst possible comparison because a torch is always associated with gloom, dungeons and etc.

I'propose, according to my invention, to make a lighting fixture which will give a light simulating sunlight or outdoor light and which, at the same time, will give a pleasant psychological effect upon those enjoying the effect of the same.

I have provided an. illuminating device which I term an electric window since it simulates in appearance a window opening into the outdoors and I have provided concealed lighting means which furnishes a light which simulates the variouslighting effect which may be secured from an open window by outdoor light. While the device isparticularly applicable for living rooms, ofiices and the like, it is to be understood that the device may take the form of an advertising medium or educational appliance.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and operating my device I shall now describe the same in connection with the accompanying drawings in which;

Fi re 1 is a front elevational view of the evice of my invention;

electrical congenerally rectangular in form and has a sill member to simulate a window sill. A pair of h nged door frames 3 and 4 which simulate 1n appearance'the usual casement window are sultably'hinged to the side members of the frame 1. These windows 3 and 4 are preferably not provided with glass but they may be so, if desired. Since the entire device is kept indoors and is not subjected to the weather glass is not necessary but it may be provided, if desired, to keep out dust and the like. The doors 3 and 4 meet at the center and one of these doors is provided with a suitable batten strip 5 thus simulating as completely as possible the appearance of a window. The frame 1 is supported upon a pedestal portion 6 which comprises the side frame members 7 and 8 which reach down and rest upon the floor. A panel member 9 is connected between the legs 7 and 8 and it may be suitablyornamented as by means of the molding 10 for defining a central panel ,11, thus breaking up the relatlvely' large area of the panel 9.

The frame 1 comprises the two outer side members 12 and 13 which are continuations of the legs 7 and 8. These two members are connected by the sill member 2 and at the top are connected by the top member 14 which is perforated as indicated at 15 for. permitting a circulation of air through the device. 1

A channel shaped frame is provided for housing the lamp and reflectors, which will be referred to later, by a back frame member 16 and a front frame npember 17, both of which extend completely around the interior part of the frame. A suitable molding as indicated at 18 conceals the joint be tween the side and top frame members and the inner frame member 17 as is shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The front frame member 17 is supplemented by an inwardly extending framepiece 19 which parallels the side and top frame members 12, 13 and 14. An additionalpiece 20 which serves as a mold ing lies inside of the frame 19. Thus a sub stantially box-like frame running around the side, top and. opposite side is formed and in this box-like frame there is disposed a channel shaped reflector member 21. This reflector is preferably made of sheet metal. I have found that plain galvanized iron will serve very well for the purpose: of this reflector but I do not wish to limit the invention to such material as it is obvious that the usual porcelain or glazed reflector or any of the usual reflectors now employed for similar urposes may be used in this connection. T is reflector is disposed about the side, top and opposite side in the boxlike frame and it consists of a front member 22, a back member 23 and a side or bottom member 24 which side or bottom member is secured to the wooden frame through suitable resilient posts 25 which may consist of rubber plugs or short lengths of rubber tubing, through which suitable screws or the like are passed and inserted into the wooden frame.

A false bottom 26 is provided and in the space 27 between the false bottom 26 and the bottom member 25 electric conductors for the electric lights which are disposed within a reflector may be mounted.

I provide a series of lights 30 which are all connected in parallel and controlled by a switch such as 31 mounted on the sill inside of window frames 3 and 4. These lamps are all of the same character and may be for example of a red or yellowish tinge. Another series of lamps 32 are all controlled in parallel by means of the switch 33. These lamps are of a similar character and they have a different tinge as for example, bluish or greenish. A third series of lamps 34 are all connected together in parallel and are controlled by the switch 35. These lamps are similar and preferably give off a light which is a white light approximating in character the light given off by the sun or usually termed daylight lamps.

A suitable connecting plug 36 is mounted on a sill member 2 in such position that connection with the appliance may readily be made. The lamps indicated are mounted upon suitable brackets preferably made of sheet metal as indicated in Figures 4 and 5 at 38; these sheet metal brackets being adapted to receive well known sockets of the Edison ty e for mounting the electric lamps as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

Any desired colors or combination of colors may be employed and any corresponding number of switches and circuits may be emacter w server the effect of distance back of the winployed without'in anywise departing from the invention.

I have shown a glass pane at 40 in Figure 5 as mounted in the window frame 4:. As previously explained this may be omitted.

The back frame member 16 supports a reflector member 41 which, in this case, is quite different from the usual reflector in that it is a canvas stretched over the frame 16 and upon it is painted a suitable outdoor scene having perspective. Something of this chariich will give to theeye of the obdow frame is necessary for the best practice of the invention. That is to say, the scene which forms the reflector of light should simulate as nearly as possible an outdoor scene, and it should give the effect of lying at a distance back of the lattice work or frame work of the window. -The artificial window thus created may be draped with curtains or shades. simulating the usual or customary shades employed for this purpose.

The light coming from the lamps directly is not permitted to strike the eye of the observer, but it is reflected back upon the reflector 41 which is also a picture.

The effect of this artificial window is most The tone of the lights coming.

striking. from the same may be varied by switching off and on the different circuits so as to secure the desired effect. When this artificial window is illuminated and other sources of light shut off the'illusion is very striking. The particular manner in which I have constructed the frame and reflectors and supporting parts may be varied quite widely within the scope of my invention so long as there is employed the essential idea of a concealed source of light causing a suitable illu-.

mination to come from a picture or other device giving perspective and lying back of a window frame or other device suggesting an opening to the outdoors.

Instead of having three sets of lamps any desired number within limit may be employed and the arrangement of the same so far as their socket and mounting is concerned may also be varied. The illuminatlOIl which comes from a device of this character is surprisingly like the light streaming in through a window from outdoors.

The particular device which I have shown is portable and may be placed in any desired position in a room for securing the best result. In this feature it is superior to a real window which remains fixed and hence determines the character of the room. While the particular device shown is portable, the invention is not limited to a portable device. do not intend to be limited to the details shown and described except as same appears in the appended claims:

. 1. In an electric window for illuminatmg purposes, a rectangular upright frame comprising side, top and bottom wall members, a back wall member closing the back of the frame, an inwardly projecting flange extending about the front of the frame, a plurality of electric lamps disposed between the flange member and the back wall member along the sides and the top of the frame, the depth of the frame being only substantially that required for the disposition of said lamps, so that said frame closely resembles a Window casing in appearance, a window sash frame disposed in the opening defined by said flange, said back wall member having a fiat pictorial representation thereon giving the effect of perspective back of the window frame, and a shallow base comprising extensions of the side frame members for supporting the frame against the side wall in substantially the position of a window casing.

the appearance of a window, a back wall' member. at the back of the casing and having thereon a fiat pictorial representation giving the effect of perspective back of the window casing, and means for projecting a sheet'of light across the casing from the sides and top thereof and in a plane closely adjacent the front of the casing and parallel to said back wall, the pictorial representation being visible by the light diffused therefrom through said sheet of light so as to enhance the distance effect of the pictorial representation.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7 day of November, 1923.

EDMUND O. SCHWEITZER. 

